Knowing Sorrow and Hardship

The Emperor and the Prince, usually kind and easy to talk to, had completely changed, becoming so cold that it terrified the officials who had served alongside them for years.

"Investigate thoroughly!" The Emperor dropped only those two words before leaving the court with the Prince.

The Prime Minister and the Great General, the heads of the civil and military officials, wiped the sweat seeping from their foreheads and turned to face their colleagues behind them.

"I hope this matter has nothing to do with any of you! Otherwise..." The Prime Minister looked at the officials, sighed, and swept his gaze over them with a profound expression.

The Prime Minister and the Great General walked out of the court side by side. Standing on the steps, they watched the officials leave one by one, then both turned to look back at the court behind them.

"I hope things haven't reached that point yet! Otherwise..." The Prime Minister said "otherwise" twice, but could not bring himself to finish the thought.

He feared that speaking it aloud would make it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The consequences were more than they could bear. He found himself missing the Old Prime Minister and the Old General, who were far away in Sanfu Town. If they were here now, they might at least be able to appease those two from Big Bamboo Peak.

"It shouldn't come to that, surely!" The Great General vaguely understood what the Prime Minister had left unsaid, so he did not believe things would turn out that badly.

The Prime Minister glanced at him, shook his head, and left, leaving the Great General with a grim expression.

The Prime Minister did not return to his mansion, but instead went to the Prince's Mansion to wait.

Others might not be clear on the